My god, I cannot have any more respect for another human than I do for O'Brien and Mauti. Two guys who ooze what a football guy is supposed to be. I wish more folks in the corporate world understood how to lead. These guys both get it.

The move to put the names on the shirts this year because they all stuck by PSU was topped only by his move to put Mauti's 42 on every helmet. Teams don't win on talent alone, and there will always be defining moments in games throughout the season. There is no doubt that when things got rough this year there was never a question that every player was pulling hard on the rope together, win or lose.

I still believe they would have won in Nebraska were it not for a travesty of a replay, and they certainly should have beaten Virginia - but I have never been this happy or proud of PSU football. In ONE season, O'Brien made this school more relevant than they have been for two decades under Paterno's staid regime.

I never really liked Joe's whole shtick, and I felt distanced from really engaging with the teams as a result. O'Brien has created a new NFL factory, making PSU Linebacker AND Tight End U. Our Defensive backfield has never been more athletic as well. Receivers and RBs suddenly look like gamebreakers. The OL pushes people around instead of getting pushed around. The D-line dominates. Is it system or talent? Well, these guys were all here last year and there was no way our line play would have measured up against the beef of Nebraska or Wisconsin with Paterno's staff.

It does look fake, huh? I think it's the light. But, no I didn't take it; I pulled it from the webz. A replay of the unveiling was shown during the game, and the announcers explained the tradition of honoring teams that way.

The Snapshot wrote:My god, I cannot have any more respect for another human than I do for O'Brien and Mauti. Two guys who ooze what a football guy is supposed to be. I wish more folks in the corporate world understood how to lead. These guys both get it.

The move to put the names on the shirts this year because they all stuck by PSU was topped only by his move to put Mauti's 42 on every helmet. Teams don't win on talent alone, and there will always be defining moments in games throughout the season. There is no doubt that when things got rough this year there was never a question that every player was pulling hard on the rope together, win or lose.

I still believe they would have won in Nebraska were it not for a travesty of a replay, and they certainly should have beaten Virginia - but I have never been this happy or proud of PSU football. In ONE season, O'Brien made this school more relevant than they have been for two decades under Paterno's staid regime.

I never really liked Joe's whole shtick, and I felt distanced from really engaging with the teams as a result. O'Brien has created a new NFL factory, making PSU Linebacker AND Tight End U. Our Defensive backfield has never been more athletic as well. Receivers and RBs suddenly look like gamebreakers. The OL pushes people around instead of getting pushed around. The D-line dominates. Is it system or talent? Well, these guys were all here last year and there was no way our line play would have measured up against the beef of Nebraska or Wisconsin with Paterno's staff.

O'Brien should be Coach of the Year in a walk.

Excellent summation. I read something today where on the Monday after the OSU game, they were having a crappy practice and OB walked out on them and told them to fix it themselves. McGloin and Zordich handled the offense while Mauti and Hodges handled the defense and that was just another example of teaching these kids how to be leaders. For all the hand-wringing about OB having no head coaching experience to the BS sanctions to the cowards who transferred, if you had told me in January (or even July) that this team would have a lead in ALL 12 GAMES, I'd have probably lost $100 to you...even though I told some people that I thought they were an 8-4 team (if only I could bet football games with that kind of accuracy on a semi-regular basis). I'm excited and nervous about what the offseason has in store and how OB will restock the cupboard given the scholarship limitations he's now under. But after witnessing this season, I have total confidence in anything he puts together.

The Snapshot wrote:My god, I cannot have any more respect for another human than I do for O'Brien and Mauti. Two guys who ooze what a football guy is supposed to be. I wish more folks in the corporate world understood how to lead. These guys both get it.

The move to put the names on the shirts this year because they all stuck by PSU was topped only by his move to put Mauti's 42 on every helmet. Teams don't win on talent alone, and there will always be defining moments in games throughout the season. There is no doubt that when things got rough this year there was never a question that every player was pulling hard on the rope together, win or lose.

I still believe they would have won in Nebraska were it not for a travesty of a replay, and they certainly should have beaten Virginia - but I have never been this happy or proud of PSU football. In ONE season, O'Brien made this school more relevant than they have been for two decades under Paterno's staid regime.

I never really liked Joe's whole shtick, and I felt distanced from really engaging with the teams as a result. O'Brien has created a new NFL factory, making PSU Linebacker AND Tight End U. Our Defensive backfield has never been more athletic as well. Receivers and RBs suddenly look like gamebreakers. The OL pushes people around instead of getting pushed around. The D-line dominates. Is it system or talent? Well, these guys were all here last year and there was no way our line play would have measured up against the beef of Nebraska or Wisconsin with Paterno's staff.

O'Brien should be Coach of the Year in a walk.

Excellent summation. I read something today where on the Monday after the OSU game, they were having a crappy practice and OB walked out on them and told them to fix it themselves. McGloin and Zordich handled the offense while Mauti and Hodges handled the defense and that was just another example of teaching these kids how to be leaders. For all the hand-wringing about OB having no head coaching experience to the BS sanctions to the cowards who transferred, if you had told me in January (or even July) that this team would have a lead in ALL 12 GAMES, I'd have probably lost $100 to you...even though I told some people that I thought they were an 8-4 team (if only I could bet football games with that kind of accuracy on a semi-regular basis). I'm excited and nervous about what the offseason has in store and how OB will restock the cupboard given the scholarship limitations he's now under. But after witnessing this season, I have total confidence in anything he puts together.

you took the words right out of my mouth. Could not of said it better myself. WE ARE. PROUD!!

The Snapshot wrote:My god, I cannot have any more respect for another human than I do for O'Brien and Mauti. Two guys who ooze what a football guy is supposed to be. I wish more folks in the corporate world understood how to lead. These guys both get it.

The move to put the names on the shirts this year because they all stuck by PSU was topped only by his move to put Mauti's 42 on every helmet. Teams don't win on talent alone, and there will always be defining moments in games throughout the season. There is no doubt that when things got rough this year there was never a question that every player was pulling hard on the rope together, win or lose.

I still believe they would have won in Nebraska were it not for a travesty of a replay, and they certainly should have beaten Virginia - but I have never been this happy or proud of PSU football. In ONE season, O'Brien made this school more relevant than they have been for two decades under Paterno's staid regime.

I never really liked Joe's whole shtick, and I felt distanced from really engaging with the teams as a result. O'Brien has created a new NFL factory, making PSU Linebacker AND Tight End U. Our Defensive backfield has never been more athletic as well. Receivers and RBs suddenly look like gamebreakers. The OL pushes people around instead of getting pushed around. The D-line dominates. Is it system or talent? Well, these guys were all here last year and there was no way our line play would have measured up against the beef of Nebraska or Wisconsin with Paterno's staff.

O'Brien should be Coach of the Year in a walk.

Excellent summation. I read something today where on the Monday after the OSU game, they were having a crappy practice and OB walked out on them and told them to fix it themselves. McGloin and Zordich handled the offense while Mauti and Hodges handled the defense and that was just another example of teaching these kids how to be leaders. For all the hand-wringing about OB having no head coaching experience to the BS sanctions to the cowards who transferred, if you had told me in January (or even July) that this team would have a lead in ALL 12 GAMES, I'd have probably lost $100 to you...even though I told some people that I thought they were an 8-4 team (if only I could bet football games with that kind of accuracy on a semi-regular basis). I'm excited and nervous about what the offseason has in store and how OB will restock the cupboard given the scholarship limitations he's now under. But after witnessing this season, I have total confidence in anything he puts together.

Read this article on Bleacher Report this morning, and I thought it was a pretty good reflection of the importance of 2012 to Penn State... the institution, its alumni and the football program.

It wasn't until a few Penn State seniors, who could've rightfully left the team, stepped up and declared their commitment to helping form the foundation for what Penn State will be for the next hundred years.

The moment when Michael Mauti said—"this program was not built by one man, and it sure as hell isn't going to get torn down by one man"—is a moment that will live on as one of the most important moments in Penn State history.

And I have to say there's more than a fair bit of schadenfruede at the fact that Silas Redd won one fewer game this year after jumping ship to USC than Penn State pulled off. (I focus on that transfer, being a SoCal guy who's had it up to *here* with the SC gobbling that goes on in this city)

It's pretty crazy how absolutely into the game I was Saturday. As a matter of fact, I would say I was more emotionally invested in more games this year than I have been since Michael Robinson was QB. It is amazing (and was predicted by many) how much difference our offense looks with coaching that isn't out of the 1950s.

I mean, seriously. Matt McGloin led the Big Ten in passing yards and TDs.....let that sink in. And it's not like our running game suffered either. Zwinak is a stud.

shafnutz05 wrote:It's pretty crazy how absolutely into the game I was Saturday. As a matter of fact, I would say I was more emotionally invested in more games this year than I have been since Michael Robinson was QB. It is amazing (and was predicted by many) how much difference our offense looks with coaching that isn't out of the 1950s.

I mean, seriously. Matt McGloin led the Big Ten in passing yards and TDs.....let that sink in. And it's not like our running game suffered either. Zwinak is a stud.

I totally get this. It was such a great feeling--one neither the hub nor I expected to feel this season.